The environment connects us all. Many of the raw materials we use come from distant countries, and their extraction sometimes has unintended consequences. European consumption also produces a lot of waste.
Signals shows that we need to think about the lifecycle of resources – where they come from, how we use them, how we recycle waste materials. This provides a global perspective, showing the opportunities and constraints in a modern, globalised world.

Prof. Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the EEA

Kenyan asparagus, Vietnamese tuna and European dinner tables were just some of the victims of the transport chaos caused by the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland in April 2010, according to EEA Signals 2011, a yearly story-based report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) released today in Szentendre, Hungary.

The eruption clearly illustrated the connectivity between some of the key systems underpinning our globalised society, from trade to health and the environment. This connectivity, its benefits and drawbacks, are key themes of Signals 2011, which tells its stories through the real life experiences of people around the globe.

Professor Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the EEA, said: "The environment connects us all. Many of the raw materials we use come from distant countries, and their extraction sometimes has unintended consequences. European consumption also produces a lot of waste.

"Signals shows that we need to think about the lifecycle of resources – where they come from, how we use them, how we recycle waste materials. This provides a global perspective, showing the opportunities and constraints in a modern, globalised world."

Dr. József Ángyán, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Hungary said: "As the public consultation on the preparation of National Rural Development Strategy in Hungary has shown, these issues also pose a major challenge at local regional and national level. There is a huge potential in the wisdom and personal experience of local communities, complementing other data-gathering exercises and delivering a clear message for us all concerning the way forward."

While Chance and the Bhuyan family have very particular experiences and personal stories, their lives – like ours - are increasingly shaped by global forces which connect us all. As Europeans, our role is often as consumers. The European lifestyle, and the legitimate aspirations of billions of people to mirror this high-consumption way of life, will largely define our common future.

In 2012 we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, which established sustainable development as a major political aim around the world. A ‘Rio+20’ meeting will try to reinvigorate and redefine sustainable development. With Signals 2011, the EEA starts on the road to Rio with a clear message: the poorest of the poor depend on the environment daily for survival. Sustainable development - with the eradication of poverty at its core - cannot succeed without securing, as a first principal, a healthy environment.